Brown had a second-place finish in the bag last season.

An unexpected collapse in the final two games proved to be costly. A home loss to Dartmouth came as a surprise and shocked the Brown squad. However, the double-overtime defeat at winless Columbia really put a terrible ending on what started out as an incredible season.

Last year’s Bears defensive unit was impressive, to say the least. With two shutouts, one against under-performing Princeton and one over preseason title favorite Penn, the defense shined in the Ivy League.

Defensive back A.J. Cruz leads this unit that looks to be equally impressive in the coming season. To combat the powerhouse offenses of Brown and Cornell, Brown will have to field a similar defense, one that can really keep the Bears in the game.

With the departure of quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero, who is currently with the Oakland Raiders, Brown will have a new offensive unit on the field in the fall. Last year’s group complemented the defense perfectly and, if there were no collapse, would have landed the Bears with a 6-1 record.

As usual, Brown will face Harvard to open Ivy League play. If the Bears can hit the field with the intention of pulling an upset, the conference title is completely up for grabs. They could build on that momentum and make a surprise run for it all. Either way, the Bears will sit at the top half of the Ivy League at the end of the season.

Projected Finish: Fourth